MAY 14TH...

Forty years ago, on May 14, 1948, the independent state of Israel was proclaimed in Tel Aviv as British rule in Palestine came to an end. The United States immediately recognized the new Jewish state. (Israel celebrated the 40th anniversary on April 21 because the date was determined by the lunar calendar.)On this date:

In 1643, Louis XIV became King of France at age 4 upon the death of his father, Louis XIII.

In 1904, the first Olympic games to be held in the United States opened in St. Louis.